Control apparatus



Feb. 20, 1923.

T. M LEOD CONTROL APPARATUS Filed Aug. 2, 1921 2 shgets-sheet l A L 1 E Hum/r01? THOMAS M L E as A TTO/MIEYS Feb. 20,1923.

T. IM LLEOD CONTROL APPARATUS Filed Aug. 2, 1921 I 2 sheets-sheet 2 WI T/VESSES 2o, iaaa i -hid rent nit-arm THOMAS MGLEOD, OF NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, ENGLAND.

CONTROL nrrnnn'rus.

Application filed August 2,1221 Serial No. 89,369.

My invention relates to a control appara tus, and more particularly to such a control apparatus as is commonly known as a telemotor. 7

It is a well-appreciated fact in connection with the control of vessels that considerable difficulty has been experienced. Thus, even in the most modern types of controls, it has been found' that after the apparatus has been actuated to cause a certain operation on the part of the steering P58313113 is difiicult to manipulatethe parts in such avmanner as to insure a return of the steering gear control to exactly the position desirec.

This is to be attributed to the fact that it has been customary on even the most advanced types of telemotors to provide valves, which would be seated when the control was in dead ahead or neutral position Thus any pressure which remains within the main control cylinders of the steering apparatus would be incapable of escaping, and, consequently, although the operator. might have the parts of the control in proper position to achieve a movement in a straight line,the parts of the steering gear'would not be properly disposed to produce the resultdesired.

The objections incident to'this ditficulty are obvious, and it will readily be appre ciated that in certain instances serious results might arise in th s connection. this in mind my present invention sums to provide new improvements in connection with a control apparatus and more particularly a telemotor, whereby this difficulty will be overcome, the structure operating to produce an instantaneous response upon the control being actuated. to either neutral or to either side of the neutral position.

A further object oi my invention is the provision of improvements of the character stated, which improvements will i not in volve any material complications of struc ture so that no objections willarise in this connection. I

Still further objects of this invention will appear in the annexed specification taken in With connection with the drawings, which latter present a practical embodiment of the same, and in which: I

Figure 1 isa rear view of a control apparatus embodying my improved construc tion the device as illustrated in Figure 1;

lhgure 3 1s a fragmentary sectional rear view taken along the lines 3-3 in the direction of the arrows indicated in Figure 2;

Fi ure lis a view similarto Figure 3, but showing theparts in a slightly different position; and i Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the lines 55 in thedirections of the arrows indicated in Figure 8.

As in the construction ofmy previous -British Patent No. 22,738, of 1911, I employ a control which includes a body 10, the actuating member of the control being preierablyin the form ofa handwheel 11 secured to a shaft 12 which, through gear-l form of a rack 17, each ot'which meshes with a common gear 18, which latter is associated with the shaft 14.

Accordingly when the handwheel 11 is rotated, one'of the rams will be retracted from its cylinder, while the other will I be projected into its cylinder and the fluid displaced from the cylinder into which the ram is being projected, will be caused to flow through a conduit 19 into the control cylinder 20. "Also in the second cylinder from which the ram is being retracted,

causing an influx of fluid into the same, the fluid will be free to flow through the seewith which the latter is associated, into the cylinder 15. This will obviously cause the operation of the apparatus in that the controll cylinders 20 form a part of the steering Figure 2 is atransverse sectional view of end conduit 19 from the control cylinder,

of which conduits terminates in a valve chamber 22. The flow through each of the control cylinders would not lie in. the position desired.

tended beyond the body 10 point thecombined tension of V To overcome this difiiculty the essence of myinvention consists in having both of the ,valves 23 open when the apparatus is in its and in neutral or dead ahead position, preventing a flow of fluid from the valve chambers 22 when the parts are in a. position other, than that specified. lVith this in mind it will be seen thatthe shaft 14: is exand carries a contact rim 25,} which latter is formed with a cut-out portion. A shoe 26 extends into the chamber 24: and engages the valve stems 27 of the valves 23. Connected to this shoe is a bar 28 and'an arm 29 is pivotally se cured at the upper end of the bar 28, the

arm carrying aroller 30 adapted to contact with the cut-out portion of the rim 25, it being further noted that the said arnr is formed with shoulders 31 capable of coact- 'ingwith the upper face of a guide member .32, which latter encircles the bar 28.

Thus, when the pistons 20 are to be actu ated, the wheel ll may be turned resulting in the operation of the rams 16 afore described, which operation will be trans vmitted by means of fluid pressure to the control cylinders 20. Simultaneously with this occurrence the arm 29 will be rocked to the position illustrated in Figure't, at which the springs associated with the valves 23, will be sufiicient to overcome the tension of the equalizing spring which is preferably asso ciated with the bar 28. \Vhen this occurs,

- the bar 28 will be free to move upwardly 1againet the tension of this latter spring,

ins; in one branch of the system.

' desired to proceed with the control in neutral position; or

thus resulting in both of the valves2 seatand obviously confining the fluid within other words, to cause the essel to move dead ahead, the wheel 11 is actuated to cause both of the rams 16 to be projected equidistant into their respective cylinders 15. \Vhen this occurs, the

' shaft 14% will have rotated to the position shown in Figure 3, at which position the arm 29 will lie in a line formlng a continuaif it is now tion of the bar 28, thus affecting and unseating both of the valves as has been illustrated in the figure mentioned rissuming now that the pressure in the branches would not be quite equal, which would normally tend to result in an improper response on the part of the steering gear apparatus, it will be seen that by means of my improved construction, any excess of pressure may be relieved in that the fluid is free to flow through the opening 21 into the valve chamber 22 and so into the second branch of the system through the common chamber 24. By this it will be perfectly apparent that the parts will immediately return to their proper position upon the wheel 11 being manipulated to its-neutral position, and thus it will be appreciated that the difficulties heretofore experienced will have been overcome,

From the foregoing it will be seenthat all of the objects set forth in the preamble ofthe specification are accomplished and it will be further understood that numerous modifications of the structuremight readily be'resorted to without at least departing from thescope of my claims, which are: I

1.. A control apparatus including a shaft, cylinders, a member providing chambers, one of which is connected to'each of said cylinders, a common chamber extending between the first named chambers, valves with in said first named chambers for controlling the flow of fluid therefrom into said common chamber, a single movable element for operating said valves,a guide for said mov able element, resilient means enclosed by said guide and engaging said element to yieldingly maintain the same in position to open said valves, and means connected to said movable element and controlled by said shaft for permittingsaid element to move against the tension of said resilient means to close said valves. a

2. A control apparatus including a shaft, cylinders, a member providing chambers, one of which. isconnected to each of said cylinders, a common chamber extending between the tirst named chambers, valves within said first named chambers for controlling the how of [iuid therefrom into said common chamber, a single movable element for operating said valves, a guide for said movable clement resilient means enclosed by said guide and engaging said element to yieldingly maintain the same in position to open .said valves, and a member pivotally connected to said movable element and rocked about its pivot by said shaft for permitting said element to move against the tension of said resilient means to close said valves.

3. A control apparatus including a shaft, cylinders, a member providing chambers, one of which isconnected to each-of said cylinders, a common chamber extending between the first named chambers, valves Within said first named chambers for controlling the flow of fluid therefrom into said common chamber a single movable element for operating said valves, a guide for said movable element, resilient means enclosed by said guide and engaging said element to yieldingly maintain the same, in position to open said valves, and a member pivotally connected to said movable element and rocked about its pivot by said shaft for permitting said element to move against the tension of said resilient means to close said valves, said member having shoulders thereon engageable With said guide When the member is rocked about its pivot to limit said rocking movement.

THOMAS MoLEOD. 

